Ghuznee Medal
The Ghuznee Medal is a British campaign medal awarded for participation in the storming of the fortress of Ghuznee in Afghanistan, on 21 to 23 July 1839 by troops of the British and Indian Armies. This action, the Battle of Ghazni, took place during the First Anglo-Afghan War. This was the second medal awarded to all ranks of the British Army for a specific campaign, the Waterloo Medal being the first.
Ghuznee Medal
- Name
- Ghuznee Medal
- Period
- 1839
- Region
- British Empire
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Documentary summary
The Ghuznee Medal is a British campaign medal awarded for participation in the storming of the fortress of Ghuznee in Afghanistan, on 21 to 23 July 1839 by troops of the British and Indian Armies. This action, the Battle of Ghazni, took place during the First Anglo-Afghan War. This was the second medal awarded to all ranks of the British Army for a specific campaign, the Waterloo Medal being the first.
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wikidata · Q3761846 · wikipedia · Ghuznee Medal
In this article
Overview
Overview
It was struck in 1839 on the orders of Shuja Shah Durrani, the Shah of Afghanistan, to show his appreciation to the British forces who had helped restore him to his throne by storming the fortress.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Ghuznee Medal • Presenter — Governor-General of India • Type — Campaign medal • Eligibility — British Army • Awarded For — Campaign service • Campaign — Ghuznee 1839 • Description — Silver disk 37 mm wide • Clasps — None • Established — 1839 • Total Awarded — 8,371 • Image2 — Ribbon: Two equal stripes of crimson and dark green
Chronology
Dated record
Chronology
The full dated record · 2 entries
1839
Ghuznee Medal first recorded.
1839
Ghuznee Medal is recorded from 1839.
Description
The medal was based on a design by John Luard, a British army officer and artist, and struck at the Calcutta Mint. It is silver and 37 mm in diameter, with the following design: The obverse depicts the fortress of Ghuznee with the word ‘GHUZNEE’ below. The reverse has a mural crown surrounded by a laurel wreath and the date ’23d JULY 1839’. The suspender is straight with a ring passing through a smaller loop soldered to the top of the medal. The ribbon has two equal stripes of crimson and dark green. Originally the ribbon was to have been half green and half yellow. The medal was issued unnamed, but many were later privately engraved or impressed in varying styles on the reverse or rim. Two separate dies exist for this medal with one having a wider border around the edge than the other. The second also has a narrower and taller fortress.
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q3761846: Ghuznee Medal
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Ghuznee Medal”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Medals of the Anglo-Afghan War
Four separate campaign medals were awarded to British led forces who served in the Afghan War of 1839 to 1842: • Ghuznee Medal. Storming of Ghuznee fortress, 21–23 July 1839. • Jellalabad Medal. Defence of Jalalabad, 12 November 1841–7 April 1842. • Medal for the Defence of Kelat-I-Ghilzie. Defence of Kelat-I-Ghilzie, January–26 May 1842. • Candahar, Ghuznee, Cabul Medal. Major operations of 1842, the final year of the war.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.John Mussell (ed). Medal Yearbook 2015. 136. Token Publishing Ltd. Honiton, Devon.
- 2.Ghuznee Medal 1839 – designer discovered. Clive Cohen. Orders & Medals Research Society Journal, September 2016, pages 188-194
- 3.Joslin, Litherland and Simpkin. British Battles and Medals. 104-5. Published Spink, London. 1988.
- 4.Ghuznee Medal on medals.org.uk
- 5.Edward C. Joslin. Observer's Book of British Awards and Medals. 90. Published Frederick Warne & Co, London. 1974.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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